Harry and Hermione - The Hogwarts years
by Golden Seeker 91
Summary: A story in which each chapter is a year. And their story throughout those years in Hogwarts.
1. Harry and Hermione - How it all began

Harry Hermione H/C

It was the end of Harry Potters first week at Hogwarts. He sat alone in the common room. What professor Snape had said to him earlier that day stuck in his mind. He wasn't really any good at his lessons, he was only known because of something someone had done, or tried to do to him, before he was even old enough to remember.

Hogwarts was so different and although he felt more at home here than in all his 10 years with the Dursleys the more people stared at him the more he missed the life where no one seemed to notice him at all.

He squinted at the tiny writing in the potions textbook and tried to understand the equations and formulas he needed to make the simplest of potions. He couldn't understand it, panic threatened to overcome him. If this was only his first week and he couldn't understand how he would be able cope in his exams later in the year.

It didn't help either that he couldn't sleep. The dream he had had first day kept coming back to him, the dream with the red eyes, cold laugh and green light.

He thumped the book down in frustration, his eyes were itching and sore from lack of sleep. He stared into the dying fire imagining failing his exams and having to live with the Dursleys again, going to stonewall high, getting a normal job. The fire sputtered and for a second Harry saw the red eyes glaring at him from the fire. There was a sound behind him like a sniff. He whirled around and saw a brown haired girl jump back. He stared into the dim light, finding only a pair of brown eyes. Harry's heart slowly returned to normal. He cleared his throat.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Then he noticed the girls face. Her eyes were red and there were tear streaks on her face. "Are you okay?" He asked startled.

The girl nodded, but kept her eyes cast downwards.

"Are you sure?" He asked again.

"I didn't realise anyone was down here." She said, still not looking up. She turned to go but Harry called after her.

"What's the matter, please, I want to help."

Maybe it was being brought up without a mother or maybe it was being brought up by the Durselys that didn't show any hint of a caring or loving attitude toward him, but Harry had grown up to care a great deal for people who were upset. And this was why, when the girl heard this simple line, she stopped and turned to face him. She looked up and Harry smiled. The girl smiled back.

He recognised the girl. She was the one who had known all the answers in his potions lesson today. He hid the potions book behind his back not wanting to look as stupid as he actually was.

"I miss home." She said simply. "It's so different here; I just want to live in the normal world."

Harry was shocked. She knew so much about the wizarding world he had assumed she was part of it. He felt even more stupid than before.

"I don't belong here." She whispered. Her eyes swam with tears again.

"What are you talking about? You answered all of those questions today and I couldn't even answer one right. Of course you belong here."

It was the girls turn to look shocked.

"I might be able to answer the questions, but that's only because the only friends I have at this place are books. I don't belong here. You have friends here. I'm just a no body." Her shoulders slumped.

"What's your name?" He asked timidly.

"Hermione Granger." The girl whispered.

"Listen to me Hermione. "People just stare at me because I'm famous for something I don't even remember. You are the first person here who has treated me normally. I don't belong here. I'm just a fish in a bowl. I can't even understand the most basic stuff."

He sank back in his chair.

Hermione walked over to the chair next to Harry's and sat in it. She looked over at him. She had heard all the stories about him. But he just looked like a normal boy, a boy who needed help. Harry looked up and saw her eyes dancing in the fire, so bright and intelligent but sad and lonely. He understood. He had grown up for 10 years with no one. He had met Ron on the train and gained his first friend and he understood the importance of friends.

With instinct borne from 10 years of being alone and being Lily Potter's son he reached out and took Hermione's hand.

"You say you haven't got friends here, you have now. If that's ok?" he added shyly.

She looked up and smiled shyly.

"I can help you too. I can teach you all of the things you don't understand. You are my only friend here. I will not let you fail your end of year exams."

Some of the tension in his eyes and chest lessened. "Thank you."

They crossed the common room together and started up the spiral staircase. When they reached the girls dormitory they stopped.

"Friends?" Harry asked.

"Friends." Hermione replied.


	2. The one where Harry realizes

Harry/Hermione head cannon

Harry lay in his four poster bed with his curtains drawn around him. No matter how much he tossed and turned he could not sleep. His stomach was burning, so were his eyes. For another 20 minutes he struggled to get tired, he needed sleep; he needed to escape his emotions. Suddenly it overcame him and he curled up on his bed shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Finally he could bear it no more; he fetched his invisibility cloak from his trunk, slipped it over his head and crept silently out of the dormitory.

He crept along the dark corridors, down secret passages, through portraits and shortcuts before he found himself face to face with the door to the hospital wing. His stomach was still burning and he was having trouble breathing through the weight on his chest.

He almost lost control of his emotions again as he twisted the door knob and slowly pushed the door open revealing the three figures all laying there, pale as moonlight and fragile as glass. He looked around for Madam Pomfery but she was nowhere in sight. He made his way over to the bed where Hermione lay and sat next to her on the edge of the metal frame.

He brushed her hair from her face and stroked her hand suddenly afraid she might break in half in front of him. He never realised before how small and delicate she looked before. She always acted so strong. She never quavered last year when they played chess with giant transfigured stone statues and almost got strangled by devils snare. Harry remembered the times she was almost killed trying to help him.

His stomach burned worse than ever and as he looked at her, petrified all because she was trying to help him again. He choked back another wave of sobs that threatened to engulf him and rested his head on her outstretched hand.

'I am so sorry Hermione. You always get hurt because of me. I have never realised before now, how much you I need you. Your books and cleverness, you said they aren't important, but they are, they have saved us, you have saved us, and now your hurt again, because of me."

He leaned forward, kissed her on the forehead and turned to leave.

"You are more important then you know Hermione."

He walked slowly towards the door opened it and took one last look at Hermione, still and pale, the moonlight falling on her hair.

"To me." He whispered as he closed the door to the hospital wing.


	3. The one where Hermione realizes

The one when Hermione realises.

When Snape had brought Harry and Sirius's body up from the lake Hermione's heart had stopped. Harry lay there, unmoving, pale as milk a blueish tinge on his eye lids. She had thought he was dead. She had run to him but Snape stopped her. She had fought against him not caring that she was hitting a teacher, only caring about Harry's eyes, closed and dark and his stillness.

She knew that even in sleep he was never still. She had watched him in the great hall that terrible night. But now, he was still, he moved not an inch. He didn't even respond when she screamed in frustration at Snape to let her past.

Eventually shock and exhaustion overcame her and she sank into unconsciousness taking the sight of Harry's pale face with her.

She woke up in a dark room staring up at a high ceiling. She looked to her left and saw curtains around a bed. She sat up immediately and after listening for a moment to make sure no one was about she went over and peered behind the curtain.

What she saw nearly made her pass out again. Harry was lying there, in exactly the same position as he had been before. He was still pale and his eyes were still closed. His glasses had been removed and he looked so small and vulnerable like that. She sat at the edge of his bed and took his hand. It was freezing cold. He did not react.

"Oh Harry." She whispered softly. "Please wake up. Just move a finger or something. Please. I can't lose you."

Harry lay there, still, not moving.

Hermione choked back a sob.

She leant forward and put an ear to his chest. She heard a faint heartbeat. She sat back in relief. He at least had a heart beat. But then, why wasn't he moving.

Just then a horrible though struck her. Even people who had been kissed by a dememtor had a heart beat. She imagined a Harry, not seeing, not reacting, and just staring. All memories, all senses gone. She couldn't bear it. She let out a sob, then another, and another. She sat by his bed holding his cold unresponsive hand whispering over and over.

"Wake up, please, please wake up."

She didn't know how long she sat there. It felt like hours. Suddenly the hand in hers tensed. A soft groan escaped from Harry's lips and his bright green eyes flew open. His chest heaved as he swallowed huge lungful's of air. His green eyes found Hermione's.

"You're awake." She breathed and hugged him fiercely and tightly till Harry groaned again.

"Can't breathe." He grunted.

"Sorry." Hermione laughed. "Just glad your back."

He grinned at her. And she realised just how much he meant to her. She had to protect him, because she could not lose him. She could not see him hurt again. She would do whatever she could to protect him. Whatever it took.


End file.
